Fastening device for wire gates.



8.0. HAGELIN.

FASTENING DEVICE FOR WIRE ems.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23. I915.

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FASTENING DEVICE FOR WiRE GATES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23. 1915- Lfim mfl; Patented Dec. 5,1916.

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ill If BERNID'I O. HAGEILIN, OF AURORA, NEBRASKA.

FASTENING DEVICE FOR WIRE GATES.

Application filed November 23, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, BnnND'r O. TTAG-ELIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aurora, in the county of Hamilton and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fastening Devices for Wi're Gates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to improvements in fastening devices for wire gates.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of fastening devices for wire gates and to provide a simple, practical and comparatively inexpensive tightener of strong and durable con struction adapted to be readily applied to a wire gate and capable of enabling the same to be readily fastened and unfastened and to be stretched to the desired tension in the fastening operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tightener of this character adapted to operated with one hand so that the other hand will be left free for managing a horse requiring attention, and adapted when the gate is unfastened to loosely hold the same in closed position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tightener adapted to be adjusted to vary the tension on the fence wire when it is desired to tighten or loosen the same.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing: Figure l is a side elevation of a wire fence gate provided with a. tightener constructed {in accordance with this invention, Fig. 2is a plan view of the combined closer and tightener, partly in section, Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same, Fig. f is a side elevation of the tightener, the operating lever being in an upright position for releasing the gate, Fig. 5 is a side elevation, illustrating another form of the invention, Fig. 6 is a plan View Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1159116. Serial No. 62,984.

of the engaging link or member of the de vice shown in Fig. 5.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention the tightener comprises in its construction a substantially U-shaped operating lever 1, a connecting link or member 2 and an engaging member 3 having a terminal hook t adapted to engage an eye 5 of a fence post 6 or other suitable keeper elcment. Th lever is constructed of a single piece of metal hinged to form two sides and a connecting portion 7, the sides being provided at spaced points with perforations S for the reception of outturned terminals 9 and 10 of the connecting member or link 2 and the engaging member The connecting link or member 2 is constructed of a single piece of wrought metal which is doubled centrally to form a loop 1.1 and spaced sides which are bent outwardly at their ends to form the laterally projecting terminal portions or pivots 9. The loop 11 receives a vertical bar 12 of a wire gate 13 and it is preferably secured to the bar by a staple 14:. The connecting member or link 2 extends outwardly from the bar 12 and it forms a fulcrum for the operating lever which is connected at the lower or outer terminals of its sides with the said link or member 2 and is adapted to swing in a direction longitudinally of the fence 15 and gate 13 to lock and release the latter. The operating lever is of greater length than the connecting link or member so as to extend inwardly beyond the vertical bar 12, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The rod or bar 12 is shown round, but it may be square or any other shape, as will be readily understood.

The engaging member 3, which is con structed of a suitable piece of wrought metal or other suitable material, has the said material bent centrally to form the hook 4 and spaced sides which constitute the shank of the hook. The terminals of the sides of the engaging member are bent} outwardly to form the laterally projecting pivots or portions 10, which are connected to the sides of the operating lever at a point intermediate the ends thereof, whereby When the lever is swung on its pivot or fulcrum the pivots or fulcrums of the engaging member or hook will be turned inwardly and outwardly from 7 one side of the fulcrum point of the lever I to'the other. By this construction the dethem in the perforations of the operating lever and enable them to be readily swung into and out of said perforations.

' The engaging member 8 may 'co-act with a keeper plate at the top of the post 6 of the fence, or a substantially U-shaped engaging member 16 may be employed, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, to enable the said member to engage over the top of a post or bar or engage the hook in the same.

It will be seen that the wire gate closer and tightener is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction and is adapted to be readily applied to wire gates and that it is capable of enabling the same to be easily and rapidly opened and closed and that when the operating lever is swung forwardly or outwardly the gate is adapted to engage over the upper end of the post 6 to support the wire gate loosely in its closed position. Also it will be apparent that the device is adapted to save time and labor in opening and closing the iron gates and that the gate may be stretched to the desired tension by adjusting the members of the device in the folds of the operating lever.

The engaging member 3 is provided intermediate of its ends with an angular bend which allows the U-shaped operating lever to pass over the horizontal center of the device and when the gate is locked the engaging member 3 rests upon the connecting link '2 as clearly illustrated in 3 of the drawingsJ By this construction a perfect lock 1s obtained and the 'U-shaped lever does not have to rest upon the top wire of the gate because of the engaging member 3 resting upon the connecting link 2 when the parts are in a locked position. viding an angular bend in the engaging member, the latter may be curved or otherwise shaped to arrange its terminal portions in substantially' the position illustrated in the drawings in order to permit the aforesaid operation of the U-shaped lever.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a post and the Instead of pro-' end bar of a wire gate, of a keeper mounted s top of the bar, and links or members having resilient sides provided with laterally extending pivots adapted to be sprung into and out of engagement with the sides of the lever, one of the links or members receiving the bar and the other engaging the said keeper and also the pivots of the link or member that receives the said bar.

2. The combination with a post and the end bar of a wire gate, of a keeper mounted on the post, an operating lever having spaced sides and provided with perforations, and approximately U-shaped links or members having resilient sides located between the sides of the lever and provided with laterally extending pivots adapted to be sprung into and out of engagement with the perforations of the lever, one of the links or members being provided with a loop receiving the said bar and the other link or member engaging the said keeper and supported at an intermediate point upon the laterally projecting pivot of the link or member which is provided with the said loop.

3. The combination with a post and the end bar of a wire gate, of a keeper mounted on the post, a substantially U-shaped connecting link forming a loop and receiving and fitting against the bar of the gate and provided at the terminals of its sides with laterally projecting pivots, a substantially U-shaped operating lever arranged to swing over the upper end of the bar and connected at the terminals of its sides with the pivots of the said link, and a substantially U- shaped engaging member having laterally extending pivots connected with the sides of the operating lever at a point intermediate of the ends thereof and extending outwardly therefrom and engaging the said keeper, said engaging member being supported at an intermediate point upon the pivots of the connecting link, said engaging member being also angularly bent \to permit the operating lever to drop below the horizontal plane of the pivots of the connecting link to form a perfect look.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BERNDT O. HAGELIN.

Witnesses OSCAR BERGGREN, VIoToR E. BERGGREN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

